what´s the point of casting an UGLY man as Dorian who CAN´T ACT????? - Dorian Gray (2009) Discussion

[–] RemusMoon 13 years ago

Ugly? I wouldn't go that far. He's not in-your-face hot, but he has this certain charm about him. If you think he's ugly, clearly you haven't seen the Jeremy Kyle show. He's like the equivalent of a Greek God next to them.

As for the acting thing - I've seen worse. He was good.

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[–] Pidrito 13 years ago

Just saw the movie.

I think Ben Barnes was good-looking enough to play Dorian Gray and suspension of disbelief is enough for the difference in physical features, but I do believe his acting was lacking. Dorian Gray is a very difficult part, considering he's only granted one to two hours of screen time for such huge character development, and as one poster previously mentioned, without an internal monologue.

I liked how Dorian Gray turned out to be in the latter half of the movie but they could've tried harder portraying the transition because it seemed like in one scene he was still an extreme of innocent, and then in the next an extreme of the opposite with no in-between.

And while I don't like Colin Firth in most of his movies, I think he did very well in this.

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[–] Espagna 13 years ago

You may not think he's the most beautiful man in the world, but he most certainly is not ugly. I personally happen to think he is quite the beauty. I read the book years ago, and I always envisioned a "golden" boy like Jude Law's look in Talented Mr. Ripley, or a blonde Alain Delon. This was the first thing that came to my mind when I first saw Ben in the film, but as the film progressed, and more close up shots were done, I was in awe of the perfection that is Ben Barnes's face, I had never seen him before. He has great well defined eyebrows, dark mysterious eyes, a strong architectural nose (not cute or button like, just perfect), immaculate bone structure, lovely lips with a permanent smirk with up turned corners like Catherine Zeta Jones, perfect skin, even his hair and hairline are perfect! The symmetry of that face left me absolutely perplexed. He also has a rare quality: he is soft,angelique, strong, and mysteriously dark looking at the same time. So, at the end of the day I thought he was physically perfect for the role, and I think he did a fine job acting too.

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[–] Seymour-Pats 13 years ago

I think he's good-looking enough for the role. The fact that the character in the book is blond is really unimportant to the story - the important characteristics were beauty and innocence, and I think BB had both.

I found his acting to be much better than I expected (although I admit I didn't have high expectations). I had trouble with the transition from innocent to depraved, because there really wasn't one. And I had trouble with the transition from hedonist to guilt-ridden too (again, because it seemed pretty much instantaneous). I thought he did well as the innocent at the beginning, and did fairly well as the hedonist, but I thought he struggled to convey the underlying tensions and struggles within the character. I think part of the problem was the script - it was pretty shallow. But I think part of it might have been BB's performance could have been a little deeper.

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[–] krupanilia 13 years ago

Miscast but not horrible.

I think it's a case where the movie poster kind of deceives and creates a different expectation.

Even though I didn't watch this when it was released, the IMDB image made me expect a highly attractive character that would carry this film on his own.

Instead you get a slightly long necked Dorian Gray who had that childish innocence but none of that modern day silent fierceness of a handsome guy who saw through his own mortality.

I think that's sort of the gamble of trying to modernize something and yet not being able to capture the demands of a generation who might be expecting something closer to a real life Batman Two-Face tragedy rather than the innocence of Dorian Gray.

One reviewer even compared this to Caligula but I felt Caligula had a strong male protagonist that really took over the screen were as here, it's like something closer to a child in an adult's body and that in turn makes it more like the character wanted to keep his image when he was a child rather than his handsome older more sophisticated face.

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[–] vedrana_a 13 years ago

The story is like that and he should be exactly like that so don't *beep* anymore.
He had to had that childish innocence, that was the point.
And the truth is, young people are more beautiful, maybe not more sexy or sophisticated, but more beautiful for sure.

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[–] Chik_Kurosaki21 13 years ago

get the *beep* off hater!
his name is Ben Barnes is a hottie and I bet he looks better than you in all aspects so shut up and walk away!
He was great as dorian gray

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[–] nick_haynes369 13 years ago

With you on that- just watched this film, and I thought he was an excellent Dorian. As for those who say he should've been blond and blue-eyed, I thought his dark hair and pale complexion added to the gothic feel of the film. I'd give this film a 10.

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[–] vedrana_a 13 years ago

The actor is very very handsome young man. If you can't see that better put on your glasses.
Maybe he is not your type, but he is definitely handsome.

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[–] Agnelin 13 years ago

Ben Barnes was definitely a bad, bad choice for the lead. I'm sure he can be a good actor, but this role was too big for him.

I also don't think he looked as good as the movie suggests -he is portrayed as this irresistible young man that all women fall for, and, while he is cute and reasonably good-looking, he is by no means the drop-dead gorgeous type (in my opinion).

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[–] xundercoverxx 13 years ago

As someone who lists 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' among their most favourite books ever, I was a bit disappointed that they didn't stick to the original script where, as you remember, Dorian was a blue-eyed blonde with curvy hair and full red lips.
But Ben Barnes really grew on me after watching that adaptation. Yeah, he's not the perfect Dorian Gray looks-wise but he's unbelievably beautiful so... why not?

January Jones <3

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[–] worldofsnail 12 years ago

The actor concerned is clearly a very beautiful man - in keeping with the story being told.

However his features were very feminine - so his androgynous appeal was apt.

Anyway - men aren't supposed to be beautiful and womanly are they?

Thank goodness there are plenty of women who like manly men. :)

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[–] JayKayTee 12 years ago

Personally, I think that Ben Barnes is handsome and played Dorian well, but he wouldn't be my first choice to play him. He is not as handsome as Dorian should be, but he's far from ugly.

I was cured all right

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[–] Arthur_Desmond 12 years ago

Well it's the most handsome they could find with a British accent, let me tell ya. Not sure if you've lived in this country (like I do) but this is not a beautiful race...

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[–] ryagudina 12 years ago

he is absolutely beautiful man - he has symmetry of the face (what scientists call golden ratio of beauty)and he is built like Adonis. In addition he is a really good actor IMHO. He actually look like he could have been a descendant of Oscar Wilde himself, same kind of longish thick wavy dark hair, same full lips, dark eyes (well, only pics of Oscar Wilde are black and white, so his eyes are dark in them). While Wilde described Dorian as having magnificent beauty, I think his idea of beauty was not only physical, but also emotional and intellectual. And when Ben first appears on the screen he does look like some angelic youth, innocent, sinless, beautiful inside and out in his naivety. I think Ben was perfect choice for Dorian. I also think he would have been more than perfect to play the role of Georges Duroy and he would have nailed it too. But, alas, maybe he did not audition or maybe he did and did not get it. I will definitely be on a lookout for more of his work.

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